FRISCO - After opening the season with a 2-0 victory against the Philadelphia Union, the back line also opened with a familiar face in the starting spot this season.
Defender Walker Zimmerman started at the back during Sunday’s game, after playing much of the previous season in a reserve role. The defender said he was glad to earn the starting job after going through a challenging preseason.
“It’s an honor to step in and be a part of the first game,” Zimmerman said. “This preseason has been probably the most competitive preseason that we as a whole group has had. We look at each position and the goal is to have people who could step in day one and start, and I think that’s what we’ve created here.”
It was a different kind of off-season for the fourth year defender. After a memorable 2015 playoff run, including the game against Seattle Sounders FC where Zimmerman tied the game in regulation and scored the game-winning penalty kick, Zimmerman spent the off-season in uncertainty.
The defender spent some time overseas until finally striking new deal with FC Dallas earlier this year. Zimmerman said that although it was an interesting off-season, he was happy to work a new deal with the team and join the club in Arizona this preseason to get some training in.
“I’m ecstatic to be back [with FC Dallas],” Zimmerman said. “It was an offseason that was obviously a little but different than in years past. But for me it was a great experience. I got some training in and the goal was to obviously stay fit the whole time.”
Head coach Oscar Pareja was impressed with Zimmerman and the starting back four. Pareja said that he feels that soccer is a physical game and that after the preseason, he felt comfortable with Zimmerman’s physicality and putting him in the starting center back position.
“I think Walker finished the past season very well coping with that physicality,” Pareja said. “I think that the back four did a great job today. I think we have a lot of confidence to grow.”
Zimmerman played with what he described as a very physical and strong back four during the game against the Philadelphia Union that helped limit their opponent’s chances to score. After Sunday’s performance, Zimmerman says that while there’s always room for improvement, the back four showed their presence by getting a shutout.
“To get the win is the most important thing to us, it gets that monkey off your back getting those first three points,” Zimmerman says. “We’re looking forward to Houston, we’re looking forward to getting another three points. Today I’m enjoying it and I know the other guys are as well. It’s going to be back to the drawing board tomorrow and I’m looking forward to building off of this.”
